Wow!! Lucky you. Blessed parish but not surprised. When I think of the northwest I always think "where sin abounds there does grace much more abound."
I would love to know what studies you have followed that gave you this time line. Let's deal with what we do know for sure at this moment and then see how we work our way out of the present, to delay as you say, for the worst after 2050. The world is at this moment on the verge of global nuclear war, which when it occurs will change the face of the earth. Global economic collapse (which means no jobs, no food, no money, no supplies being distributed globally) which would be triggered by nuclear war, continued natural disasters upon the earth and from the skies, from lawlessness/anarchy which is fomenting all around the world now, political leaders who continue to unmask themselves as globalists and more... Major natural disaster one after another are occurring now all over the world. The One True Church in in material heresy if not formal heresy on many levels, unfolding the apostasy foretold in scripture. These are just a few of the most pressing issues and situations this world now faces. One, let alone all of these, will be a ripe moment for the Antichrist to assume his 3.5 year reign. The technology for the microchip already exists for the control of the global population to be able to buy, sell and trade. If there will remain any remnant of the true faith left, one would have to explain how this aforementioned could be for another 30+ years? Is anyone in doubt that the church approved prophecies of LaSallette, Fatima and Akita are well underway? I know that some are in doubt that God and his Blessed Mother are not communicating any longer with us on earth in these more critical of all times, but for those who still believe Amos 3:3 "for surely the Lord God does nothing without revealing his plans to his prophets his messengers" and are hearing the understanding the current messengers then the time table foretold in the approved church messages are clearly unfolding as the messengers of today are revealing. All of Matthew 24 on the end times is clearly underway. The alleged messages of Pedro Regis repeatedly say we have "long years of suffering". It does not say many, the the day's and years will seem very long in suffering. For those of us who are keeping our eye's on Garabandal and Conchita, she is not getting any younger and surely won't be around in another 30 years. For those of us watching Medjugorje, Marijana is in great pain during her visions and messages and can not go on in such pain much longer. For me personally, the biggest indicator is the clear apostasy in the highest levels in God's Church, which is unfolding and getting darker and darker every day. The ship that St. John Bosco was given in his vision is taking on water horribly at this time and and being fired upon by its own flag ships and as Pope Benedict said "nearly capsizing".
Another great sign is that the world is being governed by the ungodly - the whole of secular governance is on the side of the enemy satan, prince of this world.
Any many within the highest levels of Church clergy, in bed, with the secularists. It doesn't get any worse then this. So one might ask, where is the hope? It will first come from the victory of Mary crushing the head of Satan. It will be lived out in the Era of Peace that our Lady of Fatima foretold. It will come in the Era of living in the Divine Will, as pray for in the Our Father prayer. I don't have a time frame for all this, but I do know that the forerunner events to this, are all in motion right now, as we speak. We will only be able to live in these times, because of God's greatest forthcoming ultimate mercy via the Warning, so we can walk as the apostles did after the first Pentecost, with invigorated faith and fearless faith.
I really have to respond here to the question, "Where is the hope?" For those who are able to accept Our Lady's appearances in Medjugorje, here is a quote from visionary Mirjana: What I can say and you can make the same conclusion when you look at Our Lady's messages, between good and evil, between what is supposed to happen because you have to know what our Lady said, what she started in Fatima she will accomplish in Medjugorje. She said 'My Immaculate Heart will triumph'. So from this moment that we are living now until her triumph, there is a bridge and that bridge are the priests. And Our Lady decided we pray for them so that this bridge may be form, so that we can all cross that bridge to be able to reach, to come to Our Lady's triumph. http://medjugorje.ie/mirjana-s-talk-with-questions-and-answers-to-pilgrims.html
Well .... another, potential "significant" date gone by without a serious "Event" .... at least that we know of. Who knows! .... perhaps something was set in motion that we will 'discover' in hindsight? Asteroid near miss, Trump "calling out" the Iranians or NORKs Nuke Test ... or was it an Earthquake?? One day a Date Setter will be correct just because of the odds. The SIGNS are there for any to see but we must Carry-On with life as best we can, stay vigilant, make simple plans/preparations ..... and DO NOT pass up the opportunity to enjoy a pleasant moment or nice Fall day GOD SAVE ALL HERE!!
Apparently asteroids get second and third chances. https://www.cnet.com/news/asteroid-2012-tc4-earth-2079-2017/ I believe from all I have read that most of us will indeed see the Day of the Lord, the Third Secret of Fatima in our own lifetimes. I am in no hurry for it really. The reason why I think we have not already been hit is the infinite love and mercy of God who wants all possible to be saved. We don't know dates because God does not think we need them. But I do believe it is very,very close indeed. Remember that we are children of an infinitely merciful Father who is very indulgent toward us. Padre Pio
Someone posted in another thread warning comes in 2033. I can live with that. We should all adopt it. Gives us 15-16 years of no date talks
We none of us really know, perhaps it is as well. I always thought how hard it must be on the young visionaries growing up knowing the actual dates as some of them do. I am glad I do not know, it would cause sleepless nights.
Thank you so much, Don_D, for sharing such an excellent essay. I feel blessed for having read this essay. What Royal said about the Christian world, " has broadly, over the past century, shifted and fallen away," is absolutely true. The Enlightenment and its incipient modernism had been peeling away believers for decades before WWI, but it is in this century that one realizes that to assume that Europe is a Christian continent is incorrect. Yes, the vestiges of Christianity are there, the art and the architecture, but not the faithful. Our Lady did give us her marching orders, pray the rosary, do the first five Saturdays, and offer reparation to save souls. We don't know the day and time, but we do know it is coming soon.
Mark Mallett's latest: "Debunking the Sun Miracle Skeptics" https://www.markmallett.com/blog/2017/10/14/debunking-the-sun-miracle-skeptics/
Indeed, at RCIA this week we were speaking with the Deacon and he mentioned that the Diocese had accepted three Priests from South Africa for a period of three years a while back. Curious, I asked him if this was common or if it had to do with the lack of those willing to take up a vocation in the Church and he affirmed that this was indeed the case. Add to this that there is a real lack of vocations here as well because of the lack of those willing to accept them. Vicious circle? We have far less vocations here than in the Eastern US for the laity as a result. I took away from this that there is a real opportunity within the Diocese of Seattle for men who are not afraid to accept some responsibility and live the Faith. I don't want to put the cart before the horse, however, I hope to be one of these men. I do not think I could fulfill a position such as a Deacon simply because of physical infirmity. However, there has to be something I can do within the Church to reach others.
Vocations die as the Faith does. No one in leadership seems to ask the question why the Faith dies. Perhaps they are afraid to ask the hard questions..
The question I wonder about is how to break the vicious circle I think. Not enough volunteer so there are no vocations. Not enough vocations because not enough volunteer. The Faith in this area never even matured to the point to have these vocations as it was explained to me. Unlike the Eastern US for example. I wonder though how can the Faith decline unless we the faithful stand by and do nothing? Maybe it is not that they are afraid to ask the hard questions but that we are? It seems to me that people are not volunteering because they are chasing and placing their trust in mammon instead of God. If only they save enough money to put the kids through college, retire and go on those trips they always wanted to. Oh no, I didn't make my bonus this quarter! Will these things bring the fulfillment they desire? Or will they realize when they are sitting in Maui sipping a Mai Tai that their lives were ill spent and that they actually simply feel nothing instead. That the world lied to them to feed itself and they knew it all along yet went along to get along. I wonder why it is some in the Church experience the profound gifts of the Spirit and others simply do not? I am rambling.
There are fewer vocations because the faith is essentially dying and few love the cross. Priesthood an sacrifice are essentially hand and glove.
I think one of the things at the heart of it is the Liturgy, which is often pretty horrible. As Pope Benedict said the way we pray is the way we live. Some Masses are like chat shows . Mass is a sacrifice rather than a monologue. If I wanted to hear non stop priest I would have headed for the Presbytery. I am the most awful grump. But more grump. The mass is perfect in itself. Nothing should be added to it and nothing taken away.
You are blessed to get most days. I have to survive on a weekly Eucharist. But God is good. Count down 2 hours until the beginning of my Sunday Mass.! I always try to have the Joyful mysteries said before my Mass on Sunday in preparation. I'm ahead today - just starting the mysteries of Light
The priest in Castlewellan says a nice prayer from the Liturgy at the end of mass I never noticed before. 'May we turn into what we consume' If someone were to ask me a surefire way to become a saint I would say , 'Go to mass everyday. Let God do the heavy lifting'.
